Dozens of families of missing Moroccans in Libya have voiced their frustration at their government for failing to take action to discover the fate of their loved ones. Among the missing are individuals with higher education degrees who were reportedly lured into attempting illegal migration to Italy, according to their families.
On Tuesday evening, the families held a protest outside the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat. The demonstrators sought to remind the government of a crisis that has persisted for years. Many of the families have tried to reach out to officials across various Moroccan institutions but have received no clear response. They remain in the dark about the fate of their relatives in Libya.
According to the families, most of their missing relatives initially travelled with the intention of finding work, only to end up in prisons or risking their lives on dangerous sea crossings to Europe. Some families revealed that their relatives had made their way through Tunisia into Libya, despite the ongoing conflict, and are now being asked to pay significant sums to board boats to Europe.
In July, a Moroccan association raised the issue of Moroccans imprisoned in Libya, with some detainees, including the elderly, held without proper legal procedures. The association accused Moroccan authorities of negligence in repatriating these individuals, who had sought to migrate illegally to Europe.
Mohamed Hassan Al-Watheq, Executive Director of the Libyan-Moroccan Friendship Association, stated that the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously allocated an annual fund for legal aid to Moroccans in Libya. However, only one person benefitted from this in 2012. Many detainees in Libya’s reform prisons reportedly face dire conditions with no consular support.
Although a judicial agreement between Morocco and Libya allows for consular assistance and the repatriation of prisoners, there has been little progress in implementing these provisions. Recent discussions between Moroccan Consul General Saeed Benkiran and Libyan Foreign Minister of the Parliament-designate government, Abdelhadi Al-Hwaij revealed no Moroccan detainees in areas controlled by the Libyan government.
